The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for connecting a lobby terminal to a special clerk terminal for corresponding to a consulting detail in a remote consulting support system using a network.
As one of the connection methods between a lobby terminal and a remote service terminal, there is a method of realizing dispersion of processing load for avoiding concentrated connection to a specific terminal. This is a method that a remote service manager controlling remote service terminals for supplying information in a uniform manner sounds out each remote service terminal as to whether information can be supplied. When each remote service terminal sounded can correspond to it, each terminal returns the load value thereof to the remote service manager. The remote service manager selects the remote service terminal having the minimum among the load values returned from the remote service terminals, connects the terminal, and supplies information to it. A prior art for realizing such a function is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 5-134959.
In a remote consulting system using general telephones, a counselor in charge of consultation sends information that he leaves his seat to the communication control unit for batch controlling telephone connection when he leaves his seat. When a user inquires the counselor who cannot correspond because he leaves his seat and is out, the communication control unit stores the inquiry information from the user in the communication control unit. When the counselor takes his seat and sends information of cancel of leaving his seat to the communication control unit, the communication control unit sends the inquiry information sent to the counselor during leaving his seat to the counselor. As a result, even if the counselor is not always in the corresponding state, he can receive an inquiry from a user and can reply to the user though asynchronously. A prior art for realizing such a function is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 7-74844.
In the aforementioned prior arts, whenever the remote service manager for batch controlling the remote service terminals, decides the remote service terminal to be connected, the remote service manager aeces ses each remote service terminal and reads and decides information (load value) about connectable or not. Each remote service terminal requires a process of changing the load value of the own terminal whenever it is connected. Furthermore, in this case, the batch controlling remote service manager judges the decision of the remote service terminal to be connected on the basis of only the load values of all the remote service terminals. Therefore, even if the consulting detail is the same, a specific remote service terminal cannot be always connected. Therefore, a terminal such that a special expert clerk corresponding to a specific consulting detail operates from a remote service terminal cannot be connected.
In a remote consulting system using general telephones, if an inquiry is made from a user when an operator is leaving his seat, the user designates a specific operator and makes an inquiry. Therefore, even if an operator who can correspond to the same consultation enters the correspondable state during inquiry, the connection to the user cannot be changed. As a result, unless a reply is given from the designated operator, the inquiry information is kept stored in the batch controlling communication control unit.